1/03/2012 @ 9:00AM

Putin vs. Prokhorov

Meet Mikhail Prokhorov: 6 foot 8, owner of the New Jersey Nets, billionaire bachelor, third-wealthiest man in Russia–and now Russian presidential candidate. Worth $18 billion, he could threaten Vladimir Putin with the richest election campaign in Russian history. Some think he’s a Putin patsy, running simply to steal votes from the true opposition. But beware, Mikhail. Here are six tycoons who ran afoul of the Kremlin, and where they ended up.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky Once wealthiest man in Russia; jailed in 2003 for fraud; convicted again of embezzlement in 2010.

Boris Berezovsky Former oil billionaire, government official; granted political asylum in Britain in 2003.